Re: PDA's/Blackberrys: risk to networksL

Chinnery, Paul wrote:
Some of our directors are bringing in PDA's like Palms and using them
to sync up with their email. Since virus writers and mailicious
hackers are targeting these devices, we are wondering what the
security impact is on networks Can viruses be transmitted easily
between PDA and the network machine they connect to? Could a key
logger prg or other malicious prg be easily transferred? We're a
small, rural hospital and although I keep pretty current on security
issues I haven't see much on this forum or other security related
forums which is why I am asking the group for their opinions. BTW,
we're a W2K shop with W2K Pro and XP sp2 computers using Exchange2K
and SQL.

Paul Chinnery

Paul:

As the recent ipod infections show, any device that plugs into a Windows
box is susceptible to malware thanks to the auto-run features in
Windows. At the same time, IMO, a Blackberry or PDA is a tremendous
productivity tool and probably worth the risks. If you can limit the
synching to PCs under your control, then you can at least make sure that
all the anti-malware tools are in place.

hth,

nick

--
Nick Owen
WiKID Systems, Inc.
404.962.8983
http://www.wikidsystems.com
Commercial/Open Source Two-Factor Authentication
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickowen

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This list is sponsored by: Norwich University

EARN A MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION ASSURANCE - ONLINE
The NSA has designated Norwich University a center of Academic Excellence
in Information Security. Our program offers unparalleled Infosec management
education and the case study affords you unmatched consulting experience.
Using interactive e-Learning technology, you can earn this esteemed degree,
without disrupting your career or home life.

http://www.msia.norwich.edu/secfocus
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Relevant Pages